The invention relates to a carton or sleeve for accommodating one or more articles for example information discs, foodstuff or the like formed from one or more blanks of paperboard or other suitable foldable sheet material and more particularly to a sleeve capable of being formed into a sealed compartment comprising an inner tray and outer sleeve.
It is desirable for cartons containing articles such as foodstuff or information discs to be enclosed to protect the or each article. Furthermore, the carton should preferably be reclosable to allow it to be reused.
One example of reclosable sleeves formed from one or more blanks of cardboard is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,030 which illustrates a carton having integral hinged top that it reclosable. The top is provided by a front cover panel and a spacer panel secured to one side of the front cover panel to interfit with a mating upper portion of the front panel of a box. Fastening means is formed from a detached double layer portion of the front panel. However, the detached portion is attached to the inside surface of the cover flap resulting in a stepped non-flat front surface.
In cartons where articles are positioned next to one another in abutment, it can be difficult to gain access to the interior of the carton. One known solution is to open the carton from the side or end but this is undesirable because it tends to destroy the integrity of the carton. Another solution is to use a tear panel with a pull tab which is undesirable because it can be inadvertently pulled or removed completely. Examples of this general carton type are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,122,480 and 3,735,914.
The present invention and its preferred embodiments seek to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
One aspect of the invention provides a carton for packaging one or more articles, for example frozen or chilled foodstuff, comprising an inner tray slidable within a tubular outer cover part wherein the inner tray is provided with a plurality of panels for forming a void and an aperture defined in one or more of the panels forming the void to enable a user to engage an edge of the aperture to facilitate the slidable movement. Preferably, a push tab may be provided which can be depressed into the void to reveal the aperture.
According to an optional feature of this aspect of the invention a tear panel connected to a panel of the outer cover part may conceal the aperture so that the tear panel must be removed before the aperture may be revealed. Preferably, the tear panel may be defined by a tear line which tear line extends into an adjacent carton wall of the outer cover portion to define a cutout in the adjacent carton wall when the tear panel is torn open, thereby to aid access to articles held in the carton.
According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the push tab may be hingedly connected to the tear panel.
According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the void may be further defined by an internal partition adapted to prevent the or each article from moving into the void. The internal partition may be provided by a support member connecting the top and bottom walls to protect the articles from being damaged. Preferably, the partition support member may be hingedly connected to the base wall and the push tab is foldable to be engaged with the support member to reclose the carton after the tear panel is torn open.
According to another optional feature of this aspect of the invention, the outer cover part may be provided by a plurality of panels forming a tubular structure.
According to a further optional feature of this aspect of the invention the inner tray may be connected to the outer cover part by a connecting panel arrangement to limit relative slidable movement therebetween. Preferably, the connecting panel arrangement may be struck from and hingedly connected to one of the panels forming the outer cover part.
The connecting panel arrangement for connecting the inner tray to the outer cover part may comprise a first panel secured to a section of an end wall of the inner tray, and a second panel hingedly interconnected to the first panel and to the outer cover portion, the first and second panels being arranged so as to limit relative movement of the inner tray and outer cover parts.
According to yet another optional feature of this aspect of the invention the outer cover part may have closed ends including a top, base and side walls, wherein the void is defined by slanted end wall of the outer cover part and the tray end wall to protect the contents of the tray from being damaged. Preferably, the slanted end wall may define an acute angle with the outer cover part bottom wall which the tray base wall overlies to support the contents thereon and the tray end wall extends upwardly from the tray base wall to its free end for engaging the junction between the slanted end wall and the shell top wall.
A second aspect of the invention provides a carton comprising an inner tray slidable within a tubular outer cover part wherein a panel is arranged to connect the inner tray to the outer portion and restrict relative movement therebetween wherein the inner tray and/or outer cover part comprising an end closure structure removable from the tubular structure to facilitate the slidable movement. Preferably, the end closure structure may comprise a flap hingedly connected to a first panel of the tubular structure along a weakened fold line, a slot being provided so as to interrupt the fold line, wherein an end panel of the inner tray portion is provided with a tab arranged to protrude through the slot.
According to an optional feature of the second aspect of the invention there may comprise a tab structure struck from an end panel of the inner tray. Preferably, the tab may be hingedly connected to the inner tray to define an aperture in the end panel, which aperture may be engaged by an end user of the carton.
According to another optional feature of the second aspect of the invention the end closure structure may comprise an outer end wall connected to a first panel of the outer portion along a weakened fold line, a slot being provided so as to interrupt the fold line, the tab being arranged so as to protrude through the slot.
A third aspect of the invention provides a carton comprising a connecting panel arrangement for connecting an inner tray to an outer cover part, which inner tray and outer part are relatively slidable, the arrangement comprising a first panel secured to a section of an end wall of the inner tray, and a second panel hingedly interconnected to the first panel and to the outer portion, the first and second panels being arranged so as to restrict relative movement of the inner and outer portions.
According to an optional feature of the third aspect of the invention the carton may be closed, the second connecting panel substantially overlies a further section of the end wall.
According to another optional feature of the third aspect of the invention the first panel may be hinged to the end wall section intermediate the upper and lower edges of the end wall to aid the hinged movement of the first and second panels during said slidable movement thereof.
According to yet another optional feature of the third aspect of the invention the end panel may be substantially vertical.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a carton comprising an insert slidably received within a sleeve wherein the insert and the sleeve are joined together along at least one frangible connection so that the sliding movement of the insert is enabled by breaking the frangible connection.
Preferably, the frangible connection may comprise at least one tear line formed in the sleeve and is so constructed and arranged to define a pull tab in the sleeve wherein the pull tab is joined to the insert. More preferably, the pull tab may be joined to the insert along a fold line. Optionally, the fold line may interconnect the tab and one of the panels forming the insert wherein said one panel of the insert is disposed in face contacting relationship with the tab. Alternatively, the fold line may define an edge of one of the outer walls of the sleeve.
According to another optional feature of the fourth aspect of the invention the frangible connection may comprise two tear lines arranged with a finger aperture interposed therebetween so that the tear lines extend from the aperture to the fold line.
A fifth aspect of the invention provides a carton comprising an inner tray portion slidable within a sleeve wherein the sleeve comprises a retaining tab folded inwardly of the sleeve to restrict the sliding movement of the insert abutment with a panel of the insert at a predetermined position relative the sleeve. Preferably, the inner tray portion may comprise a stopper flap extending upwardly from the tray portion so adapted to abut said retaining tab at the predetermined position to restrict further relative movement therebetween.
According to an optional feature of the fifth aspect of the invention the retaining tab may be secured to an upper panel of the sleeve and wherein the stopper flap of the insert is hingedly connected to the distal end of the insert and is resiliently biased to abut the upper panel of the sleeve during the sliding movement of the insert.
A sixth aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a carton comprising a base panel, opposed side and end panels hingedly secured to the base panel for forming an inner tray and a second blank comprising a top panel, opposed side panels and a base panel hingedly connected together to form a tubular outer cover portion wherein the inner tray is provided with a plurality of panels for forming a void within the set up tray and an aperture defined in one or more of the panels forming the void. Preferably, a push tab may be hingedly connected to an edge of the aperture.
According to an optional feature of the sixth aspect of the invention a tear panel connected to a panel of the outer cover part may conceal the aperture so that the tear panel must be removed before the aperture may be revealed. The tear panel may be defined by a tear line which tear line extends into an adjacent wall panel of the outer cover part to define a cutout in the adjacent wall panel when the tear panel is torn open. Preferably, the push tab may be hingedly connected to the tear panel.
According to another optional feature of the sixth aspect of the invention an internal partition panel may be connected to one of the panels forming the void.
According to yet another optional feature of the sixth aspect of the invention the inner tray may be connected to the outer cover part by a connecting panel arrangement to limit relative slidable movement therebetween in a set up carton. The connecting panel arrangement for connecting the inner tray to the outer cover part may comprise a first panel secured to a section of an end wall of the inner tray, and a second panel hingedly interconnected to the first panel and to the outer cover portion.
A seventh aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a carton comprising an inner tray portion slidable within a tubular outer cover portion wherein a panel is arranged to connect the inner portion to the outer portion and restrict relative movement therebetween and the outer portion comprising an end closure structure removable from the tubular structure to facilitate the slidable movement in a set up carton.
Preferably, the end closure structure may comprise a flap hingedly connected to a first panel of the tubular structure along a weakened fold line, a slot being provided so as to interrupt the fold line, wherein an end panel of the inner tray portion is provided with a tab arranged to protrude through the slot in a set up condition. More preferably, there may comprise a tab structure struck from an end panel of the inner tray. Optionally, the tab may be hingedly connected to the inner tray to define an aperture in the end panel, which aperture may be engaged by an end user of the carton.
According to an optional feature of the seventh aspect of the invention the portion of the outer cover and the portion of the end panel may be secured together using glue. Preferably, the portion of the outer cover may be defined by a tear line.
An eighth aspect of the invention provides a blank for forming a carton comprising a plurality of panels for forming a sleeve including to a top panel, bottom panel, side and end panels hingedly connected together and an insert panel wherein the insert panel and one of the panels forming the sleeve are joined together along at least one frangible connection wherein the frangible connection comprises at least one tear line formed in the sleeve and is so constructed and arranged to define a pull tab in the sleeve wherein the pull tab is joined to the insert. The pull tab may be joined to the insert along a fold line. Optionally, the fold line may interconnect the tab and the insert panel wherein the insert panel is disposed in face contacting relationship with the tab in a set-up carton. Preferably, the fold lines may define an edge of one of the outer walls of the sleeve.
According to an optional feature of the eighth aspect of the invention the frangible connection may comprise two tear lines arranged with a finger aperture interposed therebetween so that the tear lines extend from the aperture to the fold line.
According to another optional feature of the eighth aspect of the invention top panel of the sleeve may further comprise a retaining tab hingedly connected thereto, which retaining tab is capable of being folded inwardly of the sleeve to restrict sliding movement of the insert panel at a predetermined position. There may further comprise a stopper flap extending upwardly from the insert panel that is so adapted to abut said retaining tab at the predetermined position to restrict further relative movement therebetween, when the carton is in a set up condition.